Vibrators and other sex toys are the most common weird items left in properties by tenants who move on. That’s according to a survey of property owners by TPN, a credit bureau which specialises in information for South African landlords. Fully equipped sado-masochistic sex rooms are also not unusual, it seems. Sadly, it’s not all the fun stuff that is left behind. Lots of pets are found in properties, too, this research finds. What’s the strangest thing you’ve found in a property? Please tell us, by commenting on this article. – JC

By Michelle Dickens*

Weirdest things left behind by tenants: Michelle Dickens, managing director of credit bureau TPN, kicks off the first in our Friday Fun series with the results of a survey of 500 property owners. Bet you didn’t know South Africa is a buzzing nation – in more ways than one!

Bonds, leases, tenants and levies. The property industry tends to be serious business, so in order to have some fun TPN credit bureau decided to mix things up a little by deviating from the stock standard survey.

How do you do this in this industry? Well TPN asked 500 of its members what they found to be the weirdest items left behind by tenants, and the results indicated some shocking outcomes! Let’s just say that what tenants leave behind is not everyone’s cup of tea.

So here it is, the top weirdest things left by tenants:

1. Intimate toys (by far the most common weird item left behind)

2. A squatting spouse…yes, seriously

3. Sex rooms, complete with whips and chains

4. Selfies…but the nude kind

5. Pets (dogs, cats and bunnies being the most common pet left behind)

6. And finally Voodoo objects, including monkey heads in jars and a decapitated parakeet

Then there was the usual, and not so whacky, trash that was left for landlords and agents to mop up. It was apparent in the survey that it is not at all uncommon for tenants to leave their rented space in a filthy state.

Luckily for tenants however the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI), which was recently passed by government, ensures the protection of private information and therefore prevents parties from sharing their dirty laundry on the credit bureaus.

Unlucky for them is that a credit bureau can share information based on a tenant’s payment profile, and it has been repeatedly shown that a tenant who pays on time is far more likely to care for your property and investment.